


The Deadliest Tactic

by hakaseheart



Category: Kamen Rider Gaim
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2014-01-10
Packaged: 2018-01-08 04:30:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hakaseheart/pseuds/hakaseheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It seemed like Gaim wasn't even trying to damage the Inves, but that was hardly any of Jounouchi's concern. What was far more pressing was the fact that Bravo seemed intent on getting his apprentice to recklessly leap into battle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Deadliest Tactic

The fight was already in full swing when Jounouchi felt the hand shove him forward.

 “Go on, then. Show me what you've learned.”

 Jounouchi paused, his stance open and awkward as he looked back towards his self-chosen mentor. “B-but,” he stammered, trying to find some way out of the battle. “Gaim already has things well in hand! Why should I risk my neck if it's not needed?”

 And sure enough, Gaim was barely taking any damage from the large Inves in the middle of the warehouse. Granted, it also seemed like Gaim wasn't even _trying_ to damage the Inves, but that was hardly any of Jounouchi's concern. What was far more pressing was the fact that Bravo seemed intent on getting his apprentice to recklessly leap into battle.

 “You want to be stronger to defeat Baron, don't you?” Bravo nearly trilled, looking half-bored with the fight in general. “Then you need to start somewhere. If you don't have the spine yet to fight the monsters yourself, at least steal the killing blow.”

 Again Jounouchi nervously looked towards the battle. The Inves did look pretty worn down, and even though his finishing move never did much damage, he was pretty sure he could take it out in one hit. Nonetheless, it still felt like extremely poor taste to cut in unneeded. “M-maybe I could wait for another time,” he said, inching back towards their hiding space. “I mean, I don't really want to piss of Gaim directly right now, it seems like a fairly unwise move.”

 Bravo clucked his tongue at the wavering rider. “Do it, or I won't help you anymore.”

 Jounouchi seized up at that. There wasn't much other choice, then. Perhaps he could find himself a new doormat – although ever since he'd come to Bravo, he wasn't exactly sure who was manipulating who – but it would be a lot of effort. And taking this Inves down, well, wouldn't be.

 “Fine,” he grumbled, then stalked a few steps closer to the battle. Neither the monster nor Gaim had seemed to notice him, and that was exactly how he needed it to be. Gaim seemed to be slowing somewhat, but that was mainly from exhaustion, as he still looked mostly unharmed. The Inves wasn't faring nearly as well, and the closer he got, the more sure he was that he could actually deal the final blow.

 Finally, after nearly a minute of careful strafing, Jounouchi saw his opening. He slowly, meticulously, tiptoed his way into position, and when the moment came – just after Gaim had dealt yet another infuriatingly weak blow, when the Inves was looking elsewhere – he jumped in from behind and brought his hammer down.

 His belt screamed - _Donguri Au Lait,_ like he was some weird coffee – as there was a flash and sparks flew all around the edges of his vision. He felt his feet hit the ground, and he tried to tuck into a roll, only to end up sprawled across the gravel sideways instead. Still, he could hear the hiss, building into the eventual explosion that rocked the building, and he turned his head just in time to see the Inves fade into nothing.

 “ _Jou...nouchi..._ ”

 The name was a whisper on the wind as the sparks gently fell to the ground, and Jounouchi scrambled to sit up as he looked around for the source of the voice. “Hase-chan?” he asked, confused. His former partner was nowhere to be seen, but that voice had been unmistakably his.

 Then there was a pair of hands at the front of his armor, yanking him to his feet and straight into another helmeted face. “Why?” a voice screamed at him, and he tried to find his bearings enough to figure out what was going on. “Why did you do that?”

 “I-” he began, then shook his head to clear his vision enough to see Gaim standing before him. “It was an Inves! Defeating them is what you – what _we_ do!” He struggled for a moment, managing to pry Gaim's grip away from his armor. “You were fighting it too!”

 “I was trying...” The blue rider started to yell, before faltering, his shoulders slumping. “I...was trying to wear him down, I didn't...I didn't want...”

 Shaking his head again, Jounouchi took another step back and took stock of his own situation. Sure enough, he hadn't been damaged at all by the battle. “Wear him down? Why? Were you going to let it _live_?”

 Gaim's armored head snapped up to stare at him, hard, and Jounouchi felt a cold chill run down his spine. “Didn't you...” the other rider began to whisper, just loud enough so he could hear. “Didn't you know?”

 Jounouchi shrugged. “Know what?”

 “That Inves...it was Raid Wild's Kurokage. Hase Ryouji.”

 There was a moment of silence as Jounouchi's heart plummeted all the way into his stomach. “...what?” he whispered, incredulous.

 Gaim lowered his head, his shoulders slumping once more. “You just killed him.”

 “No.” Denial filled Jounouchi's throat as cold took hold of his stomach. “No, it couldn't have been, it can't be...”

 “I was trying...” Gaim gave a choked sob, before backing off and closing his seed, letting the armor vanish. “...I guess it doesn't matter anymore.” Then, bowing his head, he turned and walked out of the warehouse.

 “No...” Jounouchi whispered again, not even thinking to remove his armor. “No no no no no no no no...” His denial bounced around in his helmet, echoing in his ears the truth he didn't want to believe.

 First he'd betrayed his friend. Then he'd murdered him.

 And in that moment, Jounouchi knew that war was the deadliest tactic.


End file.
